The family of a couple who were murdered during their honeymoon at a luxury resort in Antigua came face to face with the alleged killers on Thursday.

Ben and Catherine Mullany, both 31, died after an apparent botched robbery at the Cocos hotel, little more than a fortnight after their wedding day.

Three years after their deaths, on 27 July 2008, their relatives gathered in a Caribbean court room as two men stood trial for their murders.

Ben's mother and father, Marilyn and Cynlais, and Catherine's parents David and Rachel Bowen, listened intently as a hotel security guard Brinsley Barrie told how the resort's gate could be opened with a simple "hard push".

Relatives sat with heads bowed as Barrie told the court there had been no padlock on the wooden gate that day – just a bolt and a "piece of iron".

Asked if someone could have climbed over the barrier, he said: "Most probably."

Barrie, a Gridlock Security Services employee, had been on guard with colleagues Ian Newell and Tony Martin on the night of 26 July. He told Antigua's High Court how he had been stationed in the reception area when Newell appeared at the front desk "frightened" and "stammering".

Barrie made his way up the hill to cottage 15 where he found Mr Mullany, a student physiotherapist, "crouching over the bed" but not moving.

Blood was seeping from the back of his head, he told the court. Catherine Mullany was lying on the floor, face up.

"She was dressed in white, her eyes and mouth were open. There was blood on her face, she was not moving," he said. "She appeared to be dead."

The Mullanys, from Swansea, south Wales, were on the final day of their honeymoon in the south west of the holiday isle when they were violently attacked.

Mrs Mullany, a doctor, died instantly while her husband, a former South Yorkshire police officer, who had also served in the army, was transported back to Britain for treatment but was pronounced dead a week after the shootings.

Avie Howell, 20, and Kaniel Martin, 23, were charged with their murders. They are also accused of killing shopkeeper, Woneta Anderson, 43. They deny the charges.

Barrie, who had been working at the resort for two months when the murder took place, said he would routinely patrol the pool area and restaurant at night.

But he told the court he would have been unable to hear a gunshot at cottage 15 while he had been at his post on the front desk or in the dining area. He was only alerted to the killings when he received a phone call from police at 5.25am on the Sunday morning.

Moments later, his shaken colleague appeared in reception.

Martin, in a brown and white-striped shirt, leaned forward in the dock as evidence was put to the court. His co-defendant, Howell, wearing dark trousers and a blue shirt, looked skywards.